Patrick Stefan of Dallas Stars misses a wide open empty net with not a single opposition played nearby with 10 odd seconds remaining while his team is up by 1 goal. His miss causes a turnover and the opposition ties the game up with 2 seconds remaining.

I'm worried about the Rangers, they win 5 straight then lose 7 straight and then win 3 in a row, they've already played 42 games and the teams seeded 9-12 all have more than 3-5 games in hand on the the teams seeded 5-8.

Dallas still won the game. Watch out for Detroit, Hasek is playing like the dominator.

Carte Blanche

January 6, 2007, 03:01 PM

Yeah Rangers have been disappointing lately. They have a very important game tonight against Montreal. In fact, almost all the games in the eastern conference tonight are very important. The point gaps are tight lately in both conferences and the standings jump up and down every night.

Mahir

January 6, 2007, 10:48 PM

Dallas still won the game. Watch out for Detroit, Hasek is playing like the dominator.

They won the game indeed, Dallas did, i mean, but Stefan should suicide by drowning himself in the waters of his bathroom sink for what he did there. Simply embarrassing stuff.

And yes, Hasek's been his unconventional best this season, pulling out moves right outta the hat, as he has always done. And been successful too! Well, how 'bout the 8-goal barrage that he suffered against the Sharks ?

A question to CB : I havent been able to watch the Canucks play this year other than some of their Saturday night tilts on CBC. But what on earth has Naslund been doing this year ? He continues to struggle, while Luongo keeps stealing games for the team. Vancouver being my 2nd most fav. team and Naslund being my 2nd most fav Swede in the league (:)), I am definitely a bit concerned!

Carte Blanche

January 6, 2007, 11:15 PM

Nobody knows what's up with Naslund. This is a rebuilding year for Vancouver. Us fans have our hopes low. Making playoffs would be enough achievement for the club this year. We're in serious cap trouble (no thanks to Bobby Clarke) and more off-season changes will have to be made for the team to become a contender next year.

Even though Naslund hasn't scored a goal since November, the team's on a 6 game winning streak. It's about to end though. On a brighter note, Luongo has been playing awesome lately.

Carte Blanche

January 6, 2007, 11:18 PM

I'm worried about the Rangers, they win 5 straight then lose 7 straight and then win 3 in a row, they've already played 42 games and the teams seeded 9-12 all have more than 3-5 games in hand on the the teams seeded 5-8.

Dallas still won the game. Watch out for Detroit, Hasek is playing like the dominator.

Yeah Dallas won the game, but NW division is one of the tightest. Every single team in the division is a Playoff contender at the moment and Stefan basically pissed off fans of all 4 teams (Vancouver, Colorado, Minnesota and specially Calgary) by gifting Dallas 1 point. Last year Vancouver lost the playoff spot to Edmonton by 1 point.

Tigers_eye

January 9, 2007, 02:54 PM

just a question.
I know Vancuver is seeded higher than three better teams, but would they have homefield advantage against them in the playoffs if faced?

Lets go Dallas Stars.

Carte Blanche

January 9, 2007, 03:11 PM

They are seeded higher because they are the 1st in the division. Almost half the season is still left, so there's a good chance they'll fall off that seed. But if the playoffs were to begin today, they'd have home ice advantage and play Dallas.

Tigers_eye

January 9, 2007, 03:52 PM

They are seeded higher because they are the 1st in the division. Almost half the season is still left, so there's a good chance they'll fall off that seed. But if the playoffs were to begin today, they'd have home ice advantage and play Dallas.
That sucks. This means winning division is the most important to get a home field adv. and for the rest of the good teams who didn't win their divisions must win on the road in the first round playoffs unlike NBA.

Carte Blanche

January 9, 2007, 03:57 PM

The system has its imperfections, but it is fair in a way. Teams play 8 games against the divisional rivals - as opposed to half of it against conference rivals. I don't like this system much either. It sucks specially for the NorthWest Division - which is easily the toughest division in the whole league. Each and every team in that division is in the playoff race (as was last year). There is no easy game in the division - compared to Central or Pacific divisions where the likes of Detroit and Nashville get to feast on weak teams like St. Louis, Chicago, Columbus and rack up easy points. Similarly top teams like Dallas and Anaheim get to clobber the weak Phoenix and LA. Northwest Division teams, much like the Northeast, don't have this luxury.

Mahir

January 9, 2007, 04:34 PM

The system has its imperfections [...]

You should've stopped right there. :) The NHL is full of imperfections, and it doesnt take a rocket scientist to realise some of those. 8 games against teams in the same division are meant to intensify the supposed divisioinal rivalry, but what rivalry would exist when, for example, Toronto plays Detroit once a year, and wont face the western Canadian teams for two straight years! And talking about intensifying rivalries... when two teams face each other five times in a single month, they just get sick of each other. The notion of a heated battle disappears. And forget mentioning about other parities in the scheduling (time zone conflicts for some western teams, unfair amount of travelling, etc).

But the system in place that bothers me the most is the automated top-three seedings for the division winners in each conference. The issue of a tough division aside, there can be a team thats seeded 3rd, but with less points than a 5th or 6th ranked team in the Conference. So you can play hard for 82 regular season games, get good enough points to be a top-seeded team, but end up ranked lower in the standings and lose the potential home-ice advantage 'cuz of the automated seedings of the division winners.

cricman

January 9, 2007, 04:49 PM

I hate Martin Brodeur! He's gonna break the Shut Out record

MasterBlaster is right 8 games vs the same divison opponents is way too much, but Buffalo doesn't play Anaheim this year unless they meet in the stanley cup finals, if the finals happens to be Buffalo vs Anaheim it would make the Finals alot more... i don't know the right word ... !

Carte Blanche

January 17, 2007, 01:20 AM

Another shut-out for Brodeur tonight as Rangers lose again :( This guy is on fire. I won't be surprised if Devils carry this form to the playoffs and end up clinching the title this year. Also, Luongo got another shut-out as Vancouver blanked Montreal 4-0 at the Bell Centre and St. Louis routed Anaheim with a 6-2 shocker :|

In the previous game, Vancouver embarrassed the Leafs 6-1. It was the game of the season for us fans and the result couldn't have been any better. Before the end of the game, the Toronto fans actualy ended up booing their own team. Go figure ;)

In the previous game, Vancouver embarrassed the Leafs 6-1. It was the game of the season for us fans and the result couldn't have been any better. Before the end of the game, the Toronto fans actualy ended up booing their own team. Go figure ;)

yeah, that was pretty embarrassing. at least they won tonight: 4 - 2 against tampa bay...i guess the mis-hit with three minutes or so on the clock followed by the goalie's fumble did it for them, with ponikarovsky's push into an open net in the last minute just killing any chances that the lightning had of pushing it into OT.

with only a handful of games left the playoff race and positioning in the east is still undecided and th race for the presidents trophy is unclear. Hart Trophy race is between Crosby and that Goaltender for the Devils.

Toronto lost against Montreal in SO. Play off hopes are basically over

Mahir

March 21, 2007, 12:13 AM

Toronto lost against Montreal in SO. Play off hopes are basically over

You sure its basically over ?

As of Tuesday March 20, Leafs are in a 3 way tie with Carolina and Montreal with 80 points, and also have a game in hand on the Canadiens. NYRangers are just one point up at the 7th spot. Heck, even the Lightning at 6th arent too far from reach with 84 pts. With 8/9 games still to go for these teams, I dont see how the playoff hopes are over for ANY of these teams, let alone for Toronto.

5 Points separate teams from the 6th spot to the 11th. The playoff matchups might as well be decided on the very last day of the regular, and any one of those afore-mentioned teams may or may not advance.

Mahir

April 4, 2007, 07:36 PM

What a race in the East. With the Western Conf playoff bound teams all but figured out (barring any Colorado miracle), it will be criminal to miss any bit on the Eastern side with 4 days left in the regular season.

Carolina and NYIslander are as good as out. NYRangers seem to have turned around and the 7th spot is now theirs to lose. That leaves a Toronto-Montreal showdown on Saturday, and the Leafs will have to win in regulation time to hop past the Habs. Toronto, ofcourse, will have to beat the Islanders on Thursday.

So call Thursday the cant-miss day, and Saturday the kill-it day! (Tigers, kill the Proteas that day too!! :))

P.S. : Previous year's Stanley Cup finalists will be both out of the Playoffs, and thats a first in the history of NHL.

I would love to play NJ in the 2-7, but i'd rather face Atlanta in the 3-6 match up, I think the Rangers can really take advantage of a team like ATL. If the NHL wants to survive in the USA, then some combination Pittsburgh/Rangers/Canadiens + Leafs need to play in the East Finals and Detroit and the Ducks are in the West Finals.

Because of the Stanley Cup Finals is Nashville vs Tampa the hockey might be great but Nashville and Tampa doesn't attract the average fan. But if it's Sid the Kid vs The Dominator in the Stanley Cup Finals = $$$$$$$$$$$ for the NHL.

Mahir

April 5, 2007, 07:30 PM

Because of the Stanley Cup Finals is Nashville vs Tampa the hockey might be great but Nashville and Tampa doesn't attract the average fan. But if it's Sid the Kid vs The Dominator in the Stanley Cup Finals = $$$$$$$$$$$ for the NHL.

Hockey coverage in the US is a farce really. All good hockey, and no good fan interest. Take tonight for example, the state of New York is host to a couple of frozen stages where Montreal takes on the Rangers in Manhattan and the Leafs play the Isles in Uniondale. But it's not exactly clear how much of New York is watching hockey while the hockey world is watching New York. Tsk tsk.

Why not give the game a gift by having necessary combinations of wins/losses tonight so that the Leafs and Habs can play a highly meaningful season finale on Saturday. Sky is the limit for TV ratings (+ fan interest) for such a showdown.

cricman

April 5, 2007, 09:07 PM

Hockey coverage in the US is a farce really. All good hockey, and no good fan interest. Take tonight for example, the state of New York is host to a couple of frozen stages where Montreal takes on the Rangers in Manhattan and the Leafs play the Isles in Uniondale. But it's not exactly clear how much of New York is watching hockey while the hockey world is watching New York. Tsk tsk.

Hockey Coverage in the US is really no different than Baseball and Basketball coverage here, the only diffrence is that ESPN(Cable) gets do some of the big regular season games for those sports, while OLN(A channel i dont have) gets the Marquee and playoff games.

regional coverage for all hockey teams in New York is again no different than the Yankees I can watch every Devil, Islander and Ranger game.

Why not give the game a gift by having necessary combinations of wins/losses tonight so that the Leafs and Habs can play a highly meaningful season finale on Saturday. Sky is the limit for TV ratings (+ fan interest) for such a showdown.

Looks like you got what you want, Rangers in the playoffs yeahhhhh boy.

Mahir

April 5, 2007, 09:32 PM

Hockey Coverage in the US is really no different than Baseball and Basketball coverage here, the only diffrence is that ESPN(Cable) gets do some of the big regular season games for those sports, while OLN(A channel i dont have) gets the Marquee and playoff games.

I actually focused on the interest of people in the US i.e. fan attendance in games and the overall popularity of the sport... should've used better words.

Looks like you got what you want, Rangers in the playoffs yeahhhhh boy.

Not quite :) The Leafs again found a way to make things hard for themselves. They no longer control their own destiny. Montreal needs a single point to get in, Islanders have to win both to get in (Philly n the disinterested Devils being their opponents), and the Leafs will have to win in regulation and hope for some help from NewJersey and Philadelphia. Geez.

But yes, Saturday night's Leafs-Habs matchup will be the closest thing to an intense playoff series between the two teams in quite some time.

Mahir

April 8, 2007, 11:06 AM

Today's Must :

What : New York Islanders vs New Jersey Devils
Time : 3.30 ET
Place : Infront of any channel that shows Islanders/Devils hockey
Why : Last undecided playoff series to be decided. A Devils win sends the Leafs in the playoffs, who overcame Montreal last nite 6-5 in a riveting contest, one that was emotionally drained and by far the best possible regular season finale. Islanders can jump over the Leafs, and they need to beat Brodeur n Co. to accomplish that.

Sorry Islanders fans, not sure if there are any here, but please dont win. Heck, some of the Leafs have even gone to the church on Easter Sunday to pray for a favorable result.

Bancan

April 8, 2007, 11:44 AM

If islander win both Habs and Leafs are out. stupid islanders.:hairpull::mad:

Mahir

April 8, 2007, 05:51 PM

Islanders grabbed a 2-0 lead on New Jersey, who were well content to sit out their record-setting goalie. But the Devils, playing their last regular season game in Continental Airlines Arena, somehow staged one heck of a comeback, tying the game up with less then a second remaining in regulation time. Quite sadly, the Isles came on top in the shootout.

Awful way to decide a playoff matchup this shootout is. The prayer of the Leafs didnt work :(

scorpion_king

April 9, 2007, 09:06 PM

Go Canucks Go....

Here we come Dallas

cricman

April 9, 2007, 10:47 PM

Can't believe how many experts are picking Calgary over Detroit, I haven't followed the West but it seems every team in the West has 100 points,here are my picks anyway.

yes Noc, your dream has come true. But I am afraid that the 2nd part isnt about to happen anytime soon. Today should be the last gameday of this season for NHL. Anaheim leads Ottawa 3-1, and the Senators are all but cooked. Honda Center will rock when...

The Ducks will win! :D GO DUCKS!

Nocturnal

June 6, 2007, 01:20 AM

yes Noc, your dream has come true. But I am afraid that the 2nd part isnt about to happen anytime soon. Today should be the last gameday of this season for NHL. Anaheim leads Ottawa 3-1, and the Senators are all but cooked. Honda Center will rock when...

The Ducks will win! :D GO DUCKS!

It happened last two times, so this time I knew the heart breaking feeling (for canadian team) :(
But hey, still they can win. Go sens Go. :)

Mahir

June 6, 2007, 11:46 PM

And the ANAHEIM DUCKS have won the Stanley Cup!

Hats off to a great team... Go Ducks!

:applause:

Nocturnal

June 7, 2007, 12:09 AM

And the ANAHEIM DUCKS have won the Stanley Cup!

Hats off to a great team... Go Ducks!

:applause:

grrrrrrrrr :mad:

Congrates Ducks. :)

Sohel

June 7, 2007, 08:13 AM

i still can't get over the wings losing to selanne and co. scott niedermayer made all the difference. lucky ducks, and those devils ... unwise.

ducks winning without kariya, who wudda thunk ?

Tigers_eye

June 7, 2007, 10:23 AM

Two years in a row undefeated in playoffs at home. :) They can't be that lucky, can they?

After the first period with a 2-0 margin and lifeless hockey display from the senetors I stopped watching.

Its all about King James and Dunkin donuts now.

Carte Blanche

June 7, 2007, 10:54 AM

i still can't get over the wings losing to selanne and co. scott niedermayer made all the difference. lucky ducks, and those devils ... unwise.

ducks winning without kariya, who wudda thunk ?

Lucky? If by lucky you mean they are lucky to have such a talented bunch of young forwards, veterans Selanne, Pronger, Niedermayer brothers and a superb coach in Carlyle, yes, they are pretty darn lucky. Even though they didn't win the President's trophy, they have been by far the most dominating and intimidating team in all of NHL. They don't get the credits or the press coverage they deserve by virtue of being a west coast team.

Devils? Well, they could only ride on Brodeur for so long. Brian Murray did a fantastic job of cracking their Neutral Zone Trap style of play. They were thoroughly outclassed by Ottawa. In fact, the final match-up was perfect. Clearly the two best teams were playing each other. It's just a shame only the likes of Alfredsson decided to show up in the final battle of the season. The rest of the team was practically asleep. By the way, what Alfredsson did to Niedermayer was disgraceful. It was a tied game at 2-2 and that incident sparked a great Ducks comeback. It's a totally classless gesture from a guy who has otherwise had the playoff season of a lifetime. I lost all respect I had for the guy (not that I had a lot to begin with for the Senators. They're known for their dirty play.)

Well said and summarised, CB! You are bang on about the Ducks and the Senators. Perfect matchup, but its a shame that a team like the Senators, who can be so lethal potentially, still cant do without some of their cheap brand of hockey. Alfredsson, Chris Neil n Co. should have a good summer pondering what could've been for their franchise, had they shown a bit more class.

Envy the Anaheim Ducks... that's the sort of team composition needed these days to raise the Champions banner. From Giggy to Corey Perry to Carlisle to Burke, they all delivered from Game 1 regular season to finishing off the Sens in a rather short Cup final series.

Bancan

June 7, 2007, 03:37 PM

Congrats Ducks. O god the Sens just sucked last night. And the Ducks played awesome.

Sohel

June 8, 2007, 07:25 AM

Lucky? If by lucky you mean they are lucky to have such a talented bunch of young forwards, veterans Selanne, Pronger, Niedermayer brothers and a superb coach in Carlyle, yes, they are pretty darn lucky. Even though they didn't win the President's trophy, they have been by far the most dominating and intimidating team in all of NHL. They don't get the credits or the press coverage they deserve by virtue of being a west coast team.

Devils? Well, they could only ride on Brodeur for so long. Brian Murray did a fantastic job of cracking their Neutral Zone Trap style of play. They were thoroughly outclassed by Ottawa. In fact, the final match-up was perfect. Clearly the two best teams were playing each other. It's just a shame only the likes of Alfredsson decided to show up in the final battle of the season. The rest of the team was practically asleep. By the way, what Alfredsson did to Niedermayer was disgraceful. It was a tied game at 2-2 and that incident sparked a great Ducks comeback. It's a totally classless gesture from a guy who has otherwise had the playoff season of a lifetime. I lost all respect I had for the guy (not that I had a lot to begin with for the Senators. They're known for their dirty play.)

that's exactly what i meant. no one can possibly win the cup on luck alone, which is why it's the most difficult trophy to win. approriate, in my view, because hockey is the greatest game there is. thanks for the vid.

God i miss hockey now that i'm living in dhaka.

Nocturnal

June 8, 2007, 04:09 PM

God i miss hockey now that i'm living in dhaka.

Sohel bhai, I'm missing so many things (from dhaka) now that i'm living in Canada :(
Wanna trade? :)

Sohel

June 11, 2007, 09:31 AM

Sohel bhai, I'm missing so many things (from dhaka) now that i'm living in Canada :(
Wanna trade? :)

thanks but no thanks bro ... there's always nhl.com and stanley cup reruns on ten sports ... but being there - the shark tank and the joe louis arena - is irreplaceable. but then again, so's hajir biriyani 6:30 in the morning and fried fresh munshiganj hilsha on a boat while it's raining.

Mahir

June 18, 2007, 04:09 PM

Rumor has it that John Muckler's job is on the line. Official announcement from the Ottawa Senators was expected to be made on Sunday, June 17th. Muckler refused to comment.

Mahir

June 18, 2007, 04:50 PM

Rumor has it that John Muckler's job is on the line. Official announcement from the Ottawa Senators was expected to be made on Sunday, June 17th. Muckler refused to comment.

And... Surprise Surprise! The Senators have fired the fun-loving John Muckler as the team's GM, and appointed headcoach Brian Murray to the role. New headcoach will be appointed at a later date, as Mr. Melnyk has confirmed.